Dear Diary, writing is hard.
A reflection on my life as a writer.
Sometimes writing is hard. Really hard. I stare at the screen as my eyelids droop and my mind wanders onto every topic except the one I’m supposed to be writing about. I hate those days. But on other days, words flow uncontrollably from my brain, through my fingertips and onto the screen. Usually to the sound of ELO’s Mr Blue Sky. On those days I read what I’ve written and think, hey, this ain’t so bad.
Writing is a creative process and despite the plethora of advice out there on how to structure your writing and publish more frequently, sometimes you’ve just gotta sit down and start bashing out those words. (But not loudly, no one likes a noisy typer). I’ve been Vizzuality’s Lead Writer for almost two years now and I’m feeling nostalgic as I approach my 50th post on our blog. Combing through the archive, I’m aware of how much I’ve developed as writer and feel an urge to record this moment in time, so I can look back in another two years and see how far I’ve come. By sharing this with you, I also hope that someone in similar shoes to those I was wearing two years ago will find inspiration and courage to take their writing into the next chapter.
Before I joined Vizzuality, I spent almost five years working for very serious and closely scrutinised organisations. I enjoyed my role at these places but I had strict boundaries to work within. At Vizzuality, we don’t have boundaries or rules (just common sense) and it took a little while to get comfortable with the fact I could write in a more personal style and be blunt in my opinion. And this my friend, is where the joy of writing blooms — in honest and open expression.
Of course, my path from then to now wasn’t all roses. At first I really struggled to capture the tone and voice of Vizzuality. I’d keep reverting to the safe, impersonal style I’d been practising for so long. The breakthrough came when Craig suggested I develop a persona for Vizzuality. A persona with human characteristics, preferences and opinions that I could refer to when I needed to channel the voice of Vizzuality, and not my own. So, I did, and that persona became known as Andi (who’s gender neutral by the way). Now, when I’m having trouble expressing Vizzuality’s view on something, I think to myself, “What would Andi say?” Andi helps me decide what to share, or not share, on social media too. With this approach I feel confident and comfortable channeling Vizzuality’s voice and representing the company.
Once I’d got Vizzuality’s voice right in my head, it was time to work on my own personal style and make it shine brighter. I love that I can publish under my own name — it means I take greater ownership over what I put out there and I’m building up a portfolio that charts my progress.
I believe there are two conditions that help a writer looking to improve. The first is voracious appetite to read anything and everything around them. I find inspiration in poetry, classic novels, glossy magazines and snappy non-fiction. Tabloid newspapers are great if you need ideas for attention grabbing titles. Sure, I don’t always finish the book — life is too short for boring, badly written books — but even the duds teach me something on style and structure.
The second thing that’s always helped me progress as a writer is having people around me who push me and encourage me to do better. These unbelievably patient people are willing to read my writing (even the crap stuff), give me constructive suggestions, and share links to articles they think are well written. I’d much rather someone review my writing and give me an honest review — like “this is boring”, or “I didn’t understand what point you were trying to make here” — than a “sure, it’s fine”, brush-off. At the end of the day, this kind of feedback and support will force you to critically look at your own work and make improvements to your craft.
So, here we are. Blog 49. The penultimate blog before I hit the big 5–0. I feel like a train that’s seconds away from hitting full speed. I can’t wait to see what I’ll be writing in another two years. Whatever stage you’re at, whether you’re new to writing, or an expert who scribbles in their sleep, we’ll always be on this never-ending journey of improvement. And that, Dear Reader, is what makes it all so exciting.
This blog is dedicated to the amazing ladies and gentlemen, who helped make me the writer I am today — Lynne Labanne, Anna Knee, Sophie Higman, Louisa Wood, Craig Mills, and Jamie Gibson. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me!
